Single Login/Sign On Reloaded · 2. Are you able to launch nlnotes.exe 3. Is the plug-in/add-on...

AdminCamp 2013

Christian Henseler, 25.09.2013 Christian Henseler, 24.09.2013 1

• Introduction • The Notes Browser Plug-in • Features • Requirements • Restrictions • Architecture

• Look & Feel • The User Interface • URLs • iNotes Integration • User‘s Mail database • Application databases • Forwarding documents • Mail related function in apps • Bookmarks vs. Favorites • Printing

Christian Henseler, 25.09.2013 2

•Installation & Deployment •Install packages •MUI Packs •Customization •Installation & Upgrades •Useful notes.ini parameters •Browser Settings •First Setup •NBP on Citrix

•Troubleshooting •General approach •Known issues

•Wrap Up

The Notes Browser Plug-in ◦ Access to Notes Application from web browser

◦ No modification of custom application

Use cases/business drivers: ◦ Move to browser as primary access for all business

applications

◦ Access to legacy applications that cannot be converted to XPages

◦ Reduce TCO by eliminating Basic/Standard clients


You have support for ◦ Desktop policies ◦ Roaming ◦ Replication ◦ Attachment Viewers (Max install) ◦ Forward mails ◦ Spell checking (Max install)

Base Level Functionality* ◦ …only features available in Basic Client will be available ◦ Existing Customer's Notes Application to work unchanged ◦ User interface components like Frameset, Views, document,

action bar within the application, and the scripts (DB/view/document) will work as in Notes.

◦ Workflow applications using back-end mail functionality will continue to work

*taken from IBM Open Mic presentation, thanks to Raj Patil (IBM)


Web Browsers ◦ Internet Explorer 8.0 or higher

◦ FireFox 17 or higher

◦ No Google Chrome!

Windows only ◦ Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8

◦ Citrix XenApp 5.0 – 6.5

Administrative account required for installation


Not available / not supported (in this version) ◦ Access to user‘s mail db (redirected to iNotes)

◦ Access to other Mail dbs (SPR TMDS97RVL4)

◦ Mac/Linux (Windows only feature in 9.0)

◦ Sametime

◦ Standard Client components

◦ Notes Federated Login (SAML)

◦ Notes Single Login

◦ Notes Smart Upgrade Service (if installed standalone)

◦ Local help files

◦ IE9 64-Bit



Notes Core

Renders Notes native content

Notes NPAPI Plug-in

Creates Notes control in html

NPAPI Runtime dll runs NPAPI Plug-in on IE

Notes Browser Extension (Mozilla Extension for Firefox & BHO for MSIE)

Activates tab Adds Notes URL support in web browser

Replaces Web confirmation dialogs with Notes confirmation dialogs

*Thanks to Raj Patil (IBM)


Notes menus Notes toolbars iNotes Access

Notes statusbar

A Notes document link…


Is opened in NBP:

Notes:Home - Opens the welcome page Notes:replication - Opens the replicator page Notes:workspace - Opens the workspace

Notes://[optional server]/[required database] ◦ notes:///ClientBookmark?OpenWorkspace ◦ notes://DEMAIL01/C1257BDC0066C005/MainFrameset?

OpenFrameset&view=85255E01001356A8852554C200753106

Generic Notes URLs are redirected to: Notes:///0000000000000000 – Contacts Notes:///0000000000000E00 – User’s mail file (with error message) Notes:///0000000000000E01 – Contacts Notes:///0000000000000E02 – Contacts Notes:///0000000000000E03 – Home


notes://Home

notes://replication

notes://workspace

In iNotes (IE):

In NBP (IE):


If a user opens his own mail file…

…he is redirected to iNotes


Access to Notes Applications with a browser


Documents forwarded in NBP…


… are forwarded using iNotes:


“Workflow applications using back-end mail functionality will continue to work”*



Favorites and Bookmarks are synched by NBP!

Firefox Internet Explorer

Ctrl-D or Favorites/Add to Favorites

Bookmarks/Bookmark this page


Use File/Print in Notes instead of Browser‘s Print

Background printing is disabled in NBP!


Great … …I want this on my clients...


When deploying NPB you are faced with ◦ Installation of NBP ◦ Migration of existing users ◦ First Setup (Scriptable Setup) ◦ ID Deployment


2 flavors of Installation types ◦ Notes Standard client component

◦ Standalone

2 flavors of Standalone packages ◦ NotesPluginMax/Full (150 MB)

◦ NotesPluginMin/Lite ( 60 MB)

No Notes JVM (Java agents won‘t run)

No Attachment viewer

No Spellchecker (available, but not supported)


NBP can be installed as component of a full client, but not be run in parallel


Standalone Installation: <nbp.exe> /s /v“<MSI Parameters>“, e.g.

<nbp.exe> /s /v“/qn“

Program directory: %ProgramFiles%\IBM\Notes

Installation type: Multi User

Common Data Directory: %ProgramData%\IBM\Notes\Data\Shared

User Data Directory: %LocalAppData%\IBM\Notes\Data

Only 7 templates: Autosave, Bookmark, Cache, Log, Mailbox, Notebook9, Pernames

No local help files (even Full Standalone Installer)


The base install package is English only

Multilingual User Interface Pack available: ◦ Group 1

◦ Group 2a

◦ Group 2b

◦ Group 3



There is no localized (German) NBP-Installer You have to deploy 450 MB (NBP Full + NBP MUI Pack G1) to get a German NBP!

You may create transforms based on

IBM Notes Browser Plug-in 9.0.msi

for Standalone Installers


But:

• You can‘t use Installshield Tuner • It‘s easier to modify the installed

product • Keep the different architecture in

mind (NBP vs. Notes Client)

-> IBM: keep it simple!


If you try to install Standalone NBP on a system with existing Lotus Notes:

Use Standard Deinstallation mechanism or NICE

If NBP is crashing using notes:home ◦ DISABLE_BROWSER_FAVORITES=1

iNotes Integration ◦ BrowserAllowiNotesMail=1

Define iNotes Redirector path: ◦ INOTES_REDIRECTOR_PATH=demail01.henseler.org/iwaredir.nsf

Define user‘s mail/home server: ◦ INOTES_SERVER_PATH=inotes.henseler.org

Enforce HTTP ◦ BrowserUseHttpForiNotes=1

Enable Advanced Menus ◦ AdvancedMenus=1

Identify NBP in notes.ini ◦ InstallMode=4


NBP needs specific Browser Settings.

IE: FF:

Ideally, IE Protected mode should be switched off.


Dialog on first FF start after NBP installation



If no scriptable setup is used, the standard configuration dialogs are shown:


ID Vault should be used for ID deployment:

As soon as setup is completed the home page is shown:



0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

W2K8 8 GB W2K8 16 GB

iNotes 9.0 (IE)

Basic 8.5.2

Notes Browser Plugin

Standard 9.0 (w/o EE)

*Values taken from IBM Scalability analysis whitepapers

Why shall one use NBP on Citrix when users have to use iNotes + NBP!?

In my point of view, you have the same problems as deploying a Notes Basic Client…, but additionally

◦ Web Browser compatibility (FF vs IE vs Chrome)

◦ Web Browser security

What is missing for Enterprise deployments in my point of view:

◦ Web installer (integrated in iNotes)

◦ Automatic configuration

◦ SAML support


So, we are finished now ….


Mmmh, well, aehm …

Troubleshooting & Known issues

5. Does the problem occur in Lotus Notes Basic client?


1. Was the Browser upgraded after NBP has been installed? 2. Are you able to launch nlnotes.exe

3. Is the plug-in/add-on enabled in the Browser

4. Is another IBM Plug-in occupying notes: protocol?

„Create a file „EnableNBPLogging.txt where npntapi.dll is located“ is not working, but:


Action bar is duplicated and partial hidden by something that is normally at the bottom of the Notes windows


If a user tries to open a mail file that is not defined in the location document (mailin dbs, delegated mail dbs):


This also occurs if accessing the users mail db properties (Properties, ACL, etc…)


Use Machine specific policy - > @GetMachineInfo([IsStandard]) to avoid this.

We still have hanging tasks:

users must kill plugin-container.exe,too!



Stop plugin will result in:

Using Lotus Notes Client:

Using Notes Browser Plug-in:



When you try to access your local mail while offline:

NotesUIDocument.Close closes entire browser

NotesUIWorkspace.PicklistCollection not working (SPR# PALT97BH4D)

@Command([FileExit]) is not working

To identify if your app is running in NBP:

@IsNotesBrowserPlugin


If trying to use IE when NBP is already open in FF:


Where is the place of NBP compared with ◦ Notes Standard client ◦ Xpages ◦ iNotes

In 9.0 I can‘t see a benefit / use case for NBP: ◦ Less than Basic Functionality ◦ Needs to be deployed like a native Client ◦ API problems ◦ Problems with Mail enabled applications ◦ HW requirements (when used with iNotes)

IBM promises improvements for future releases!


Open Mic presentation on "IBM Notes Browser Plug-in" (28 March 2013)

IBM Notes and Domino Wiki – Notes Browser Plug-in

Best Practice Makes Perfect: @IsNotesBrowserPlugin


http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21632471








http://www-10.lotus.com/ldd/dominowiki.nsf/xpViewCategories.xsp?lookupName=Notes Browser Plug-in






http://www-10.lotus.com/ldd/bpmpblog.nsf/dx/isnotesbrowserplugin

http://www-10.lotus.com/ldd/bpmpblog.nsf/dx/isnotesbrowserplugin

Single Login/Sign On Reloaded · 2. Are you able to launch nlnotes.exe 3. Is the plug-in/add-on...

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